Long-term flowering patterns of melliferous Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) species
Melanie J. Birtchnell A B and Maria Gibson AA Plant Ecology Research Unit, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: mjbi@deakin.edu.au
Australian Journal of Botany 54(8) 745-754 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT05160
Submitted: 20 September 2005 Accepted: 31 July 2006 Published: 29 November 2006
Abstract
The flowering patterns of 28 Victorian melliferous (honey-producing) eucalypts were investigated by using long-term observations of highly experienced, commercial apiarists. Frequency, timing, duration and intensity of flowering were determined, as were spatial differences within and among species. Data were obtained by face-to-face interviews with 25 Victorian apiarists, each of whom had operated a minimum of 350 hives for a minimum of 30 years. Flowering frequency ranged from 1 to 7 years, and most species flowered once every 2–4 years. Long-term flowering frequency, timing and duration were reported as constant, although short-term perturbations could occur. Most melliferous species flowered during spring and summer for a period of 3 months or more. Only few species had shorter flowering periods. Information provided by apiarists compared well with available published information (e.g. flowering period reported in field guides) and revealed a reliable, largely untapped source of long-term data, the use of which could benefit many ecological research endeavours.
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank the apiarists involved in this research, who generously gave their time and extremely valuable observation-based insights into long-term patterns in eucalypt flowering. Our thanks extend to Stuart Fraser and his daughter Kath who discussed their concerns about the fate of long-term anecdotal information held by beekeepers with an historian, Dr John Jenkin (La Trobe University). Thanks go also to Dr Robert F. Parsons from La Trobe University for allowing us to adopt the intellectual ‘propagule’ from which this project was born and for providing bounds of enthusiasm and support for our work. This manuscript was improved by helpful comments from Dr Peter Beech (Deakin University), whose support and encouragement is gratefully acknowledged, and an anonymous referee. Funding for this research was provided by Deakin University and, in part, the Holsworth Wildlife Research Fund and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC). The authors are grateful for this vital support.
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